


you

by peteporkers



Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: Angst, F/M, cheater!steve, platonic jonathan/reader
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-23
Updated: 2019-10-23
Packaged: 2020-12-31 20:53:33
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,836
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21152036
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/peteporkers/pseuds/peteporkers
Summary: Y/N is best friends with Nancy Wheeler and Barbara Holland. After her boyfriend, Steve, cheats on her with Nancy while Barb disappears, Y/N becomes best friends with Jonathan Byers and helps save Hawkins from the evil that lies beneath its surface.





	you

**Author's Note:**

> not requested

The day after Steve’s small party was one that changed your daily life drastically. You hadn’t attended the small get-together because you had a huge headache and a test the next day; plus, you really didn’t want to deal with Tommy and Carol.

Sometimes you wish you had gone. Maybe if you just sucked it up, you would still have your boyfriend and your two best friends. But life was cruel.

Your life changed when you spotted your boyfriend, Steve, picking on the poor Byers kid again. Steve usually never took it too far, but you watched in shock as Steve ripped up Jonathan’s photographs and dangle the kid’s camera carelessly between his fingers.

Usually, you would stay out of it. Steve had a tendency of getting angry when you interfered, claiming it let Tommy walk all over Steve afterward.

But now, as you marched over to the parking lot, you didn’t care. Jonathan Byers had already lost his younger brother; he really didn’t need this.

“Hey, what’s going on?” You ask to no one in particular.

“Just go away, Y/N. It’s none of your business.” Tommy sneers.

You glance at your boyfriend expectedly, but, to your dismay, he just shook his head.

“Just get inside, alright? I’ll catch up with you.” Steve replied, attempting to wave you off.

You just scoffed. “I can’t believe you some times.”

You were about to walk away. Sometimes you wish you did. Sometimes you wished you hadn’t looked at the ground and seen a ripped piece of photograph showcasing Nancy Wheeler, your best friend, half-naked in your boyfriend’s room.

You picked up the crudely ripped piece. “What the hell is this?” You ask, turning to Jonathan, anger in your eyes.

Jonathan’s eyes moved from your face to the photo to Steve. In Steve’s eyes, there was a look Jonathan had never seen before. There was anger mixed with fear. But there was something else. Something in his eyes was pleading.

Jonathan had two choices. He knew damn well Steve was dating you. Jonathan also knew Steve slept with Nancy last night. 

Jonathan ripped his eye away from Steve’s. “Nancy was undressing in Steve’s room last night.”

As soon as those words came from Jonathan’s mouth, his camera paid the price.

“Y/N, it’s not what you-” Before Steve could even attempt to lie his way out of things, he felt a hand strike him across the face, his cheek warming up.

“You’re an asshole, Steve Harrington.” You say, picking up the pieces of the ripped pictures. You weren’t sure why you decided to keep them. Proof? Revenge?

“Come on,” You begin, taking Jonathan’s hand and walking away, knowing he would be dealing with much worse than a broken camera if you left him.

“What’s going on?” A new voice spoke up, one you painfully recognized. Your head snapped up, looking at Nancy Wheeler herself. 

“I really can’t believe you, Nancy. I hope you’re happy. First, you lost Barb while you were busy sleeping with my boyfriend. And now you lost me. You’re the worst, Nancy Wheeler.”

You walked off with Jonathan, leaving Nancy behind with tears slipping down her cheeks.

*

“Jonathan, I need your help.” It had only been a couple of days after the incident with his camera. You truly felt bad, especially asking for his help after letting your boyfriend bully him relentlessly after so long, but you had no one else to turn to.

“What’s up?”

“Well, I-uh, this is gonna sound stupid, but…” You explained how yesterday you went to Steve’s house to look for Barb, and you saw something. It looked like a person, but it had no face. And when you taped together the photo Steve ripped up, you saw something in the corner of the photo, too close to Barb.

“I know it sounds crazy.” You say, eyes looking into Jonathan’s, pleading for him to believe you.

“Yeah, it does. But, I trust you.” Jonathan smiled, putting a calming hand on your shoulder.

*

After figuring out that thing you saw was also seen by Jonathan’s mom, you two decided you two better learn some self-defense, just in case.

So, Jonathan taught you how to shoot a gun.

*

After coming back from the weird dimension in Mirkwood, you asked Jonathan to stay with you. He complied, knowing he wouldn’t be able to sleep alone, either.

The next morning, you assumed the monster was attracted to blood, like a shark. The two of you agreed to kill it, heading to buy supplies you would need to finish the monster and hopefully save Barb and Will.

After finishing your shopping, you and Jonathan teased each other about hanging out together, when only last week it seemed like you lived in separate worlds. Closing the trunk, you heard a honk behind you.

“Hey, freaks, can’t wait to see your movie!” Someone called before driving off. 

“What was that?” Jonathan asked, obviously confused.

But you knew. 

Steve had tried to call you and asked you to the movies to “start over”. You never picked up the phone, but you heard the voicemail.

Jonathan’s confusion only grew as you took off, a walk turning into a run as you stood outside the movie theater, Jonathan attempting to keep up. The both of you stared at the “ w/FREAK Jonathan + Y/N Byers” spraypainted in red on the Now Showing.

Laughter floated from the alley beside the theater. You turn into the alley, facing Steve, Carol, Tommy, and the other girl whose name you never bothered learning. 

“Oh, here comes the freak couple!” Carol taunted, making kissing sounds when you stop in front of Steve.

“What the hell, Steve?” 

“Well, it’s obvious you two are a thing,” Steve replied casually, shrugging his shoulders.

“What? So you can sleep with Nancy but I can’t hang out with Byers? Nothing happened!”

“So, what was he doing in your room?”

“Were you spying on me?”

“Answer the question.” 

“We were- I just-” You shook your head, finding it difficult to explain that a monster from another dimension had abducted Barb and Will.

“Yeah, that’s what I thought.” Steve scoffed, crossing his arms.

“Come on,” You say, grabbing Jonathan’s hand and walking away for the second time that week.

“You know, Byers, you’re a screw-up, just like the rest of your family. Honestly, I’m not surprised that Will is dead. I mean, nobody misses him anyway-” Steve started, shoving Jonathan repeatedly. Steve quickly shut up when Jonathan’s fist met his face.

“Jonathan, stop!” You yell, trying to pull him off Steve while simultaneously trying to avoid getting hit.

The fistfight finally ended when the cops showed up, arresting Jonathan while you put your face in your hands in shame and frustration.

*

You found yourself at Hawkins Middle with Jonathan and Nancy. You couldn’t explain why Nancy was there, but you were pretty sure it had something to do with Mike. They were siblings, after all.

Everyone was sat around the girl, El, as she floated in an inflatable pool in the middle of the school gym. She had been voicing almost everything she saw, trying to find Barbara and Will. Everyone hung on to her words, tension and anticipation hanging in the air.

“Barb…dead.”

Your mouth hung open in shock, feeling your heart drop in your chest. Your breathing got more and more rapid and shallow as quiet sobs shook your body. You saw Nancy get up and leave. Your knees felt weak, and you clung on to Jonathan like a lifeboat.

Once Jonathan knew Will was alive, he stood up, dragging you up as well, supporting your weight as you steady yourself.

Nancy barged into the gym, walking quickly over to you and Jonathan.

Nancy’s eyes were turning red and full of fury. “Let’s kill that son of a bitch.”

*

There was a knock at the door almost immediately after you all bandaged your bleeding hands. You stuck your head out, careful to not let anyone see the traps and light inside the Byers home.

“Jonathan, look- Y/N? What the hell are you doing here?” Steve asked, upset at the thought of you with Jonathan. Before he could get too bothered, Steve pushed the thought away.

“Steve, you should leave.”

“No, no. Look, I- I messed up, alright? I need to apologize.”

“No, Steve, you seriously-”

“What happened to your hand? Did Jonathan do that to you? I swear if he hurt you-”

You tried to protest, but Steve pushed you inside, entering the living room full of Christmas lights.

“What the hell is going on here?” Steve yelled, looking around in utter confusion.

“Steve.” You said, picking up Lonnie’s gun and pointing it at him. “You need to leave.”

“What the hell? Put that thing down! Look-”

“Y/N!” Nancy called, motioning to the flickering lights.

“Steve! Get out!”

“Y/N!” Jonathan yelled. “Look!”

You turned around, noticing the lights flickering around you.

“Shit.”

*

After a lot of initial screaming from Steve, the four of you had done enough damage to the monster when it disappeared.

Jonathan, Nancy, and you had to explain what was going on to a very overwhelmed Steve while meeting back with everyone else.

*

After the entire situation was over and no one else was in danger, Steve asked Nancy out after talking to you and apologizing for everything he’d done.

After Steve asked her out, Nancy immediately came to you.

“Is it alright if I date Steve? I mean, it’s completely alright if you don’t want me to, we just started being friends again and-”

“Nance, it’s okay, really. You two were both drunk and you both apologized. If you like him and he likes you, then you have my approval.”

She gave you a big hug after that.

*

“You ready to go?” You asked Jonathan as you climbed back into your car, escaping the harsh December winds.

“Yeah,” Jonathan replied, turning to you. “She kissed me on the cheek.” He said, a small smile spreading on his face.

“Woah there, Byers. Aren’t you moving a bit too fast?”

Jonathan chuckled, lightly punching you on the arm. “Yeah, she’s dating your ex, but hey, a guy can dream. What about you?”

“What about me?”

“You and Steve?” Jonathan asked, his smile turning into a smirk.

“Steve cheated on me.” You retort, rolling your eyes.

“Yeah, well, a girl can dream, can’t she?”

The two of you laughed, a comfortable silence filling your car.

“Hey, why don’t you stay for dinner? Mom does always cook too much.” Jonathan asks as you pull into his driveway.

“No, I couldn’t.”

“Please, Y/N? Spend time with your favorite Byers!”

“Fine!” You sigh dramatically, getting out of the car.

“You know you love me.” Jonathan nudges your shoulder, a shit-eating grin on his face.

“I hate you, shithead.” You nudge him back, a big grin on your own features.

Even if you and Jonathan couldn’t have Steve and Nancy, you knew you would always have each other.


End file.
